Hank Drennon

Hank Drennon received his BFA in Ceramics and MFA in Sculpture from the Art Institute of Chicago.  He has exhibited widely and has taught at Austin Community College, Virginia Commonwealth University, Northwest Vista College, the Southwest Craft Center and the University of Illinois.  He has worked with potters and artists in Mexico, Southern Africa, Macedonia, Greece and Palestine.

Artist’s Statement 

Hank Drennon Received his BFA in Ceramics (1983) and MFA in Sculpture (1986) from the Art Institute of Chicago.  His career in ceramics began in stoneware but the colors and imagery of tin-glazed maiolica held intriguing possibilities for personal expression.  Studies in preparation for embarking on his current maiolica works began in 1991 with an opportunity to work with the Talavera Potters of Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico – potters whose works are well known for their colorful traditional patterns.  These patterns and other traditional decorative motifs thus provide the background for his works – but imbedded within are images drawn from contemporary life – from staplers to Saturday-night specials, from Marilyn to Madonna.  ‘Maiolica, whether produced in Renaissance Italy, Moorish Spain or Delft, has always been a means to record contemporary material culture in an informative way.  I try to continue that tradition.’  Drennon’s interest in folk ceramics has also led him to work with potters in Southern Africa, Macedonia, Greece and Palestine.